Imprinting apparatus



' Jan. 12, 1943. G. J. SNYDER 'IMPRINTING APPARATUS 5' Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR Filed July 3, 1939 an miuv an m w m m A f 7 m 5 @m w Jan. 12, 1943. G; J. SNYDER iMPRINTING APPARATUS Fil e d July 3, 1959 INVENTOR. 6M 55? 7 J 5N my? ATTORNEY.

5 Sheets-sheaf: 2

\J 12, 1943. G. J. SNYDER 2,308,117

IMPRINTING APPARATUS Filed July 3, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. I d/wmr J 5/W0A mgM W ATTORNEYJ.

Jan. 12, 1943. G. J. SNYDER 2,308,117

IMPRINTING APPARATUS Filed July 3, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. .9.

1NVENTOR. 6/4 50?) J 5/v YDER ATTORNEYS- Patented Jan. 12, 1943 IMTRINTING APPARATUS Gilbert J. Snyder, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Mastic Asphalt Corporation, South Bend, Ind,

a corporation of Indiana 10 Claims.

This invention relates to imprinting apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for imprinting or impressing a design upon the surface of a member, such as a building covering panel, coated with thermoplastic or other impressionable material.

In the manufacture of building covering material it is customary to coat a base member With a waterproofing and weather and wear resisting layer of thermoplastic material, such as asphalt, to which coating is applied and partially imbedded a layer of mineral particles such as grit. In order to produce a designon the coated face, the grits are pressed into the asphalt along design-defining lines. For instance, in the manufacture of simulated brick siding, linear areas of I the coating are depressed to completely imbed the grit in the pattern of masonry mortar joints. Usually these mortar joints, in addition to having the grits imbedded, are also depressed substantially to set the brick face simulating areas defined thereby in relief. Inasmuch as these depressed joint lines extend both longitudinally and transversely of the coated member, certain conditions arise which have heretofore limited the imprinting operation, especially from the standpoints of speed, accuracy and sharp relief. Thus speed of operation has had to be confined heretofore to prevent imprinting of rough, irregular and otherwise unsatisfactory character, which speed limitations have materially restricted pro-' duction possibilities and have rendered costs high. Where attempts to increase speed of operation above normally accepted limits have been made, the imprints, and especially those transverse of the direction of travel of the imprinted member, have been inaccurately produced. Inasmuch as simulated brick siding is cormnonly produced on panels of insulation or composition board, rather than on a continuous Web or sheet as in roll roofing, inaccuracy of positioning of imprints in respect to the spacing thereof from the edges of the panel renders the product vitally defective and unsalable. Furthermore, the accuracy required has heretofore caused the complete imprinting to be done in a single operation by a single printing roll or member, with the result that it is extremely difiicult to obtain sharp relief and adequate depth of impression without at the same time causing a flow of the coating resulting in bulges, ridges or increased thickness thereof on opposite sides of the impression. For instance, the pressure and depth of the imprinter frequently causes lateral flow of the coating away from the imprinted area, so that the margins of the coated faces, as brick faces, defined thereby are raised, and hence defective in appearance.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide apparatus for rapid and accurate imprinting in sharp relief.

A further object is toprovide apparatus for imprinting a plastic coating step-by-step.

A further object is to provide apparatus having a plurality of imprinting elements each varying in respect to either Width, depth or contour of the impression produced thereby.

A further object is to provide imprinting ap paratus with a plurality of imprinting members and means for feeding material for successive and registering imprinting of the'material by each member. s

A further object is to provide imprinting apparatus having a plurality of imprinting rolls with means for accurately adjusting the circumferential or rotative position of each relative to the work.

A further object is to provide imprinting apparatus having a plurality of gear driven imprinting rolls, with means for preventing inaccurate registration because of gear back lash.

A further object is to provide imprinting apparatus having imprinting rolls and a Work conveyor wherein said rolls and conveyor are arranged in novel relation to each other.

A further object is to provide an imprinting apparatus having an imprinting roll with novel means for heating said roll.

Other objects Will be apparent from the description and appended claims.

In the drawings: 7

Fig. l is a View of the device in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the'device with parts shown in section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the panel conveyor and a panel mounted thereon. V V

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional View taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the anti-back-lash brake arrangement in side elevation.

Figs. 7 and 8 are face and edge views of part of the roll adjusting means.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one sequence of operations of the imprinting rolls on the work.

Figs. 10 to 12 are fragmentary enlarged views diagrammatically illustrating another sequence of imprinting operations on the work.

Figs. 13 to 15 are fragmentary enlarged views diagrammatically illustrating a third sequence of imprinting operations on the: work.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a panel of the character operated upon by the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral designates the supports for a pair of horizontal rails 2| suitably interconnected by cross bars 22 to constitute a rigid elongated frame. Suitable bearings 23 are carried by the frame, as by cross bars 22, and journal an elongated drive shaft 24 connected with suitable driving means (not shown). Shaft 26 extends longitudinally of the frame at one side thereof.

A shaft 25 is suitably journaled and extends transversely of the frame adjacent one end thereof, and intermediate the height of rails 2|. Shaft 25 mounts a gear 26 at one end which meshes with a gear 21 on a stud shaft 28 journaled in bearing 29 secured to rail 2|. Stud shaft 28 mounts a bevel gear 36 which meshes with bevel gear 3| on shaft 24 to drive shaft 25 through the gear train just described. Shaft 25 mounts a pair of sprockets 32 positioned in spaced, relation between frame rails 2| with their uppermost teeth being positioned substantially at the height of the upper end of the frame. Bearings 33 carried by the bottom of rails 2| in longitudinally spaced relation to shaft 25 journal a transverse shaft 36 which mounts a pair of spaced idler sprockets 35. A pair of chains 36 each having an upper horizontal run adjacent the level of the top of the frame, extend around sprockets 32 to be driven thereby in timed relation to shaft 24, and thence extend around idler sprockets 35 and return in a lower run. The chains 36 carry a plurality of spaced sets of spaced cross bars, best illustrated in Fig. 3, one cross bar 31 of each set being narrow and the other cross bar 38 of each set being thicker. The cross bars of each set are spaced apart a distance equal to the length of a slab 39 of composition board (Fig. 16) having ship lap edges of which ship lap flange 46 at one end and side edge is of reduced thickness and projects from the lower portion of the slab while the ship lap flanges 6| at the other end and side edge of slab 39 is of complementary reduced thickness and projects from the upper portion of the slab. As illustrated in Fig. 3, narrow crossbar 31 is adapted to be overlapped by ship lap flange 4| at one end of the slab, while the other crossbar 38 abuts the end edge of ship lap flange 65, and the slab is thus held by the cross bars against movement relative to the chains. Chains 36 extend beyond the end of the frame opposite the end at which sprockets 32 are mounted (beyond the right end in Fig. 1) and slabs 66 are mounted on the upper runs of said chains in spaced relation to the frame in any suitable .manner. When mounted on the chains, the slabs 36 have been suitably surface coated, as by a layer of asphalt 42 in which a layer of granules or grits 63 (Fig. 12) have been partially imbedded. As fed to the machine, slabs 39 may also have longitudinal impressions 44 (Fig. 2) either partially or fully formed therein. At the discharge end of the machine outwardly of sprockets 39, a plurality of idler rollers 45 may be journaled between rails 2| to support the slabs 39 after discharge from chains 36.

As best shown in Fig. 4, each of frame rails 2| mounts a plurality of spaced bearings 46, which bearings are transversely aligned with complementary bearings on the opposite rail. A plurality of hollow drums 4''! are ea'chprovided with an elongated projecting stud shaft 48 and a hollow projecting stud shaft 49, said shafts being journaled in bearings 46. Each shaft 46 mounts a gear 50 rearwardly of the frame, and this gear 56 meshes with gear 5| mounted on shaft 52 journaled in bearing 53 carried by rail 2|. Shaft 52 mounts a bevel gear 54 meshing with a bevel gear 55 on shaft 24.

Drums 61 are provided with a plurality of spaced circumferential grooves 56 including outer grooves 51 which are adapted to receive chains 36, whereby said chains may pass and be supported by said drums and the slabs may be supported by the drums for substantially their full width. Each drum 4! is provided with a flange 56 of slightly greater radius than the remainder of the drum to fit under and support the ship lap flange 6| of slab 39 while passing thereover.

Suitable means for cooling each of the drums l! is provided. For this purpose openings 59 are formed in the front rail 2| to permit extension of hollow shafts 49 therethrough. A water supply conduit 68 is extended through each shaft 69 to discharge within drum 41, and a Water discharge conduit 6| having an enlarged or funnel end portion 62 is positioned at and below the outer end of each hollow shaft 49. Thus a continuous circulation of cooling water is supplied by conduit 66 to the drums, and the warmed water therein is discharged through shaft 46 and collected by end 62 of conduit 6|.

A plurality of tranverse rockable shafts 63 are suitably journaled between frame rails 2| adjacent each drum 41, and each adjustably mounts a scraper blade or doctor 64 adapted for edge engagement with the adjacent drum. Each shaft carries an arm 65 positioned outwardly of the frame and extending between a pair of fixed ears v66 carried by the adjacent frame rail and mounting set' screws 61 for locked engagement with the opposite sides of arm 65.

Each of frame rails 2| carries a plurality of spaced upright supports 76, each vertically aligned with a drum 4'! and having a central vertical guide passage Hv therein and a cross bar 12 spanning said passage. A shoe 13 is slidable vertically in passage TI and mounts a bearing 74. A hollow drum T5 is provided with tubular projections 16 centered relative to the drum, which tubular projections are journaled in bearingsv 1A. A gear 11 is mounted on rear tubular projection '36 and meshes with gear 56. said gear T7 being adapted for rotation relative to tube 76 on which it is mounted.

A worm. gear 18 bears on cross bar 12 of each upright 76, and a shaft 19 is threaded in a passage centrally of. said gear E8. The lower end of shaft 19 mounts shoe 13 in suspended. re-

lation, there being a coil spring 80 encircling shaft l9 and bearing at its upper and lower ends on cross bar 12' and shoe 13, respectively. Worm gears 18 are each mounted in a housing 8| which 'also encloses a worm (not shown) on a transverse shaft 62 extending between the housings 8| at opposite ends of eachdrum 15. A suitable hand wheel 63 on shaft 82 is provided for manual operation of shaft 82 to simultaneously and equally rotate the worm gears 18 and thereby simultaneously and equally raise or lower the opposite ends of the" drum by the adjustment of the vertical position of the complementary shafts l9 and shoe 13.

An elongated shaft 84' extends freely throughtubular projections 16 of each drum 1 5 andpro jects' from the ends. thereof... One: projecting end of shaft 84 is threaded and mounts an adjusting hand wheel 85 whose hub bears against the end of the front projection 76 of drum 15. A second outer hand wheel 86 threaded on shaft 84 constitutes a lock for the adjusting hand wheel 85. The tubular projection 16 of drum 75 which mounts gear 11 projects rearwardly from said gear and mounts a unit 81 splined thereto at 88. Unit 81 comprises a disc 89 juxtaposed to gear H and spaced therefrom by a bushing 90, a brake drum 9|, and cap 92 concentric with and projecting beyond the end of tubular projection Hi. The rear end of shaft 84 projects through cap 92 and carries a retainer 93 bearing on the outer face of said cap. A coil spring 94 encircles shaft 84 within cap 92 with its ends bearingon said cap and against the end of tube 16.

As best illustrated in Figs. 5, 7 and 8, gear l"! carries a pair of opposed rearwardly projecting lugs 85 having complementary wedge faces 95. Disc 89 has a pair of opposed notches 91 each with a radially extending wedge surface 98 hearing against lug faces 95. In spaced opposed relation to wedge surface 83, disc 89 mounts a sleeve 99 having an adjustable cap I09 at one end. A plunger I!!! is slidable in sleeve 99, being spring pressed against the face of lug 95 opposite wedge face 95 by a spring in the sleeve retained by cap Hill. It will thus be seen (Fig. 4) that each of the drums i5 is driven from shaft 24 through gears 55, 5Q, 51, 50, ll, lugs 95, disc 89 of member 87, spline 88, and tubular projection H. The purpose of this is to provide for adjustment of the peripheral position of each drum with respect to the others. This function is achieved by adjustment of hand wheel 85 to either draw shaft 85 forwardly, or to release it for rearward movement by spring 94, thereby adjusting the position of unit 8'! with relation to gear I! and its lugs 95-. Such sliding adjustment of unit 87 causes relative rotation of gear '11, and unit 81 and drum 15, by virtue of the wedge or cam faces 95 and 98 on lugs 95 and disc 89 respectively, which faces are held in engagement in all positions of unit 8! by spring pressed plunger lfll.

In order to prevent back lash of gears and drive connections for the drums 15, the construction illustrated in Fig. 6 is provided. This construction comprises a plurality of fixed horizontal bars I82 suitably carried by the framework of the machine and positioned between and aligned with the brake drums e! of adjacent drum units. Each drum has a brake band 103 extending therearound, with its ends drawn together by a spring tensioned connector I02. In case of more than two drums, the intermediate drums are each provided with two opposed brake bands. Each brake band I83 carries a projection I05 thereon for engagement with one of the horizontal bars H12. These brakes constantly act upon the drums with a sufficient retarding effect to take up any play or gear back lash in the drive for the respective drums, so that a positive timed relation of adjacent drums is obtained without danger of free play resulting from the adjusting mechanism previously described.

Each drum I5 is partially enclosed in or covered by a hood I06 preferably carried by shoes 13. This hood is open at its bottom and is spaced above chains 36 and panels 39. A removable access member or closure portion is preferably included in each hood. Gas supply lines I01 terminating in burners I08 within the hoods serve to supply heat which is confined for the purpose of heating the drum by hood Hi6.

Each of the drums 15 carries a plurality of spaced circumferential imprinting projections I09 and spaced transverse imprinting projections H0. These projections may be variously positioned and arranged. Thus, in Fig. 9 is illustrated an arrangement wherein the drums are so positioned relative to the path of movement of panels 39 that the imprint of each is deeper than that of the preceding one. That is, the drum at the right under which the panel first passes makes only a shallow imprint, then the intermediate drum deepens the first imprint, and that at the left completes the full depth imprint, all in a step-by-step manner which avoids too great a disturbance of the coating 42 at any one operation and hence avoids certain disadvantages above mentioned which occur in making a complete imprint with a single drum. Figs. 10, 11 and 12 illustrate this progressive depth imprinting employing imprinting members which are centrally recessed at Hi to provide a crowned imprint which possesses certain advantages.

A slightly different progressive imprinting arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 13, 14 and 15. In this arrangement the first drum acting upon the coated panels (Fig. 15) has imprinting means each comprising'a pair of thin strips H2 spaced apart about the width of the desired imprint. The strips cut into the panel coating 42, 43 substantially the full desired depth of the imprint, thus providing a pair of narrow, deep spaced cuts in said coating. The next drum acting upon the coated panel is provided with imprinting members I I3 of substantially the contour desired, but narrower than the spacing of imprinters M2 on the preceding drum. These imprinting members I I3 engage and press upon the panel coating 42, G3 centrally between the narrow cuts which were previously formed by strips I [2. The depth to which these imprinters I I3 press into the coating 52, 43 is less than the desired depth of the finished imprint, and the action is substantially one of filling the lower portions of the cuts previously formed by members H2, but without narrowing the spacing of the outer walls of the original cuts. The drum which makes the final impression has imprinting members H4 whose width is substantially equal to the spacing of the outer faces of strips H2, said members H4 deepening the impression made by members M3 on the preceding drum. It will thus be seen that this set of impression drums provides progressively imprinting wherein the shape, depth and width of each impression differs from the others.

In operation, panels 39 are mounted on the chains 35 in predetermined positions guided and retained by chain-carried members El, 33. The chains thence carry the panels between the successive sets of drums 4?, l5, with chains 36 passing through grooves 51 of the lower drums s 1. Members 31 and 38 are both of a thickness or vertical dimension not exceeding that of panels 39, exclusive of coating d2, 33, to permit free movement thereof between said drums. The panels 39 are thus supported upon the lower drums 31 while being imprinted (Fig. 4) so that the depth of imprint of each at each imprinting station will be accurate and uniform.

The imprinting members of each of the drums i5 is identical in all respects, and the drums and chain are both driven from drive shaft 26. This provides for accurate registration of the imprinting means of each drum with the previously formed imprint on the panels. The depth of the imprint formed by each drum 75 is readily adjustable by operation of hand wheel 83 associated therewith to raise and lower said drum through adjustment of the vertical position of shoes 13 by shafts "l9. Should'any one of the drums be out of register with respect to the others, so that the imprint thereof does not exactly register with that of the others, that drum may be accurately rotated by hand wheel 85 operating the adjusting mechanism of Figs. 5, '7 and 8, as above described. Uniform rotation of drums 75, without back lash, vibration or play, is insured by the interconnected brake arrangements therebetween (Fig. 6) as above described, so that the impression of each panel is sharp and clear. Upper drums l5 are heated by burners I08 whose heat is confined relative to the drums by hood H36, so that the heated thermoplastic material constituting panel coating 42 will not stick thereto. Each of the lower drums 41 is cleaned and scraped by a scraper blade 64 to prevent accumulation of thermoplastic material which may lodge thereon from causing the panels to stick thereto, or from causing raising of the panel to render depth of imprint by drums i5 inaccurate or irregular.

Of primary importance, of course, is the fact that the device permits progressive or step-bystep imprinting of this type of material, i. e.,

substantially rigid composition board coated thermoplastic material and granular material or grit; thus overcoming previous difiicultiesin respect to raised ridges at the margins of the imprint, etc.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for impressing the faces of units coated with thermoplastic material, comprising a plurality of rotatable heated impressing members, means for feeding units to be impressed in a predetermined path of movement for successive, and progressive impressing engagement thereof by said members, and means for actuating said feed means and impressing members in timed relation, said impressing members having similarly arranged and positioned projections whereby the impressions, produced in each unit by each impressing member occur in registration to the impression produced therein by the other impressing member.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said actuating means includes mechanism connected with each impressing member for adjusting the rotative position of said member relative to the other member.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and means for adjusting the rotative position of each impressing member relative to the other, and means for adjusting the position of each impressing member relative to the path of movement of said units.

4. Apparatus for impressing a desired design in the faces of units coated with impressionable material, comprising a plurality of heated impressing members, means for feeding units to be impressed in a predetermined path for'successlve engagement thereof by said members, and means for actuating said feed means and members in predetermined timed relation, each of said members having impressing projections thereon in the same design arrangement and of complementary character, the projections of said members being adapted to impress said unit faces to progressively produce the desired design.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the operative positions of the impressing projections with respect to the path of travel of said units differ to provide impressions in the units of progressively increased depth by the successive members.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim l, wherein the impressing projections are of different shapes.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the impressing projections are of different widths.

8. Apparatus for impressing a desired design in the faces of units coated with impressionable material, comprising means for feeding the units in a predetermined path of movement and in predetermined spaced relation, and a plurality of heated impressing members juxtaposed to said path of movement and each having design-forming projections, the design-forming projections of said members being complementary and successively and progressively acting upon the same portions of each unit to progressively form the desired'design thereon, said members operating in timed relation to said feed means.

9. Apparatus for impressing the coated faces of substantially rigid units, comprising a frame,

means for feeding the units in spaced relation in a predetermined path of movement, a plurality of spaced impressing rolls juxtaposed to said path of movement, drive means, a driving connection between said drive'means and said feed means, a driving connection between said driving means and each impressing roll, each of said last named connections including a pair of relatively rotatably adjustable interengaging parts and a spring urging said parts into operative engagement, and brake means associated with said frame and acting on one part of each of said last named connections for restraining loose play thereof.

10. Apparatus for impressing the face of material coated with impressionable material, comprising a frame, means for feeding said material in a predetermined path, a plurality of spaced impressing rolls juxtaposed to said path of movement, means for driving said feed means and impressing rolls in predetermined timed relation, in cluding a drive connection associated with each impressing roll, each drive connection including a pair of relatively rotatably adjustable interengaging parts and a spring urging said parts into engagement, and means positioned by said frame and frictionally engaging one part of each pair of last named driving connections for restraining the same against loose play.

GILBERT J. SNYDER. 

